Underwater Pipeline Inspections
One of the benefits of being a commercial diver is that you have the opportunity to work on many different projects under a variety of conditions. Some of these underwater projects can be quite profitable. Underwater pipeline penetrations are just one of these lucrative diving projects.
About Underwater Pipe Inspections
Underwater pipeline penetration dives require the diver or divers to inspect or make repairs on the inside of a large diameter pipe. In addition to standard dive pay, many commercial diving companies pay their divers extra money to compensate for the risks associated with pipeline penetration diving. Generally, the pay is based upon the length of the underwater pipeline inspection.
In some instances, divers will need to inspect a large section of pipeline that requires additional divers to enter the pipeline in order to tend the dive umbilical of the diver who will go further into the pipeline. Having multiple divers in a pipe at the same time adds to the complexity of the dive inspection making it more profitable and risky for the divers.
Though accidents in pipeline penetrations are not common, the risks are real and should be considered before performing a pipeline penetration. Under normal diving conditions, emergency situations that require a fast ascent can be controlled through the use of hyperbaric chambers and related procedures. Pipeline penetrations pose additional obstacles to this process in that a diver may be at depth, but also might be located several hundred feet inside a pipeline. The time required to get the diver out of the pipe and on his or her way to the surface can use up valuable time in an emergency.
Additionally, pipeline penetrations can pose psychological challenges to a diver. Under normal diving conditions, most commercial divers would not bail out of their dive helmet in an emergency as the surrounding water reminds them of the dangers associated with being deep underwater without an air supply. Instead, they would calmly turn on their backup air supply.
When divers enter a pipeline, it is not uncommon to find pockets of air along the pipeline’s high points. In an emergency, a diver who may have acted sensibly under regular diving conditions, may be temporarily distracted by visible presence of air in the pipeline and remove his or her dive helmet rather than turning on the backup air supply. Unfortunately, these pockets of air can also contain large amounts of toxic gases in lethal dosages leading to serious injury or even death.
Despite the additional dangers associated with underwater pipeline inspections, it is important to remember that such incidents are not very common and that most inspections are performed without injury by following standard safety procedures. The flip side of this kind of project is that it is possible for a commercial diver to take home extra compensation that can be several hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars daily depending on the nature of the project.